Transformation overview

Mental Health Services for Children and Youth (Centalized Intake)

Transforming child and youth mental health services

As announced by the Ministry of Children and Youth Services (MCYS) in August, PCC was selected to be lead agency for the Peel service area as part of Phase One of Moving on Mental Health, the Province’s transformation of the child and youth mental health (CYMH) system. The goal of this process is to transform the experiences of children, youth and families so that wherever they live in Ontario, they can access the same core mental health services and have clear pathways to care.

DELIVERABLES

During the first year of the transformation process, all CYMH agencies in Peel will continue to deliver services for children, youth and their families. Over a three-year period, PCC will gradually assume additional responsibilities in two broad categories:

Core Service responsibilities – ensuring that core services are delivered in the Peel service area; and

Local System responsibilities – ensuring that Peel’s community-based sector works together with healthcare providers, schools, and other organizations so young people get the support they need.

PROGRESS TO DATE

Highlights of our transformation work this fall include:

Meetings of the 14 Phase One lead agencies with MCYS and the Centre of Excellence for Child and Youth Mental Health to receive updates and provide feedback on the transformation agenda, and to explore the varying needs of the service areas, which include large urban and small rural communities

A day-long session of all CYMH agencies from York, Waterloo, Halton and Peel to hear from corporate and regional MCYS staff about system transformation, including breakout discussions of each service area’s specific aspirations and concerns

Meeting with the Mississauga Halton Community Care Access Centre (CCAC) and ROCK, Halton’s lead CYMH agency, to discuss ways to engage physicians in the referral process and in building public awareness of CYMH. Engagement of primary care practitioners is a requirement of transformation.

CENTRALIZED INTAKE RE-VISIONING

Within the context of system transformation, the Peel service area continued its work on re-visioning of the centralized intake process.

The Steering Committee of the Peel Coordinated Intake Network, with representation from all CYMH agencies in Peel, recently met for an update on transformation and to review the work of the Implementation Design Subcommittee, including:

mapping of processes and pathways into, through and out of care;

a draft of the standardized intake protocol; and

process and tools for third-party referrals.

The Steering and Implementation Design Committees are meeting again in December to begin a more fulsome discussion on pathways into the service system.